Huntsville Ranks #5 in Tech Town Index

With the ongoing migration of high-tech companies to North Alabama, opportunities in the IT industry continue to grow. In fact, a recent Tech Town Index ranked Huntsville, AL at #5.

In 2018, when Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) launched its inaugural Tech Town Index, Huntsville was well on its way at 10th place. There, it maintained a solid #10 spot for the first two years, then jumping into the #9 slot last year. 

By leaping into the fifth-place position in the rankings, Huntsville continues to establish itself as a region ripe with opportunities.

When most people think of Huntsville, images of rockets, military defense organizations, and aerospace technology come readily to mind. While these are and probably always will be a large part of what puts the Rocket City on the map, Huntsville also attracts a variety of IT talent, making it one of the best places to live for technology professionals.

Going beyond Huntsville’s long-standing history as a leader in aerospace technology, there has been growing diversity among its corporate community and, as a result, an increasing number of tech job postings. In 2021, Huntsville employers posted 14,085 available technology jobs. That’s a lot of opportunity over a 12-month period.

Over the next year, the area’s number of IT jobs is expected to grow to nearly 20,000, and to 21,000 in the next five years. What is driving the growth? With the ongoing growth and expansion, the Rocket City needs IT professionals.

Several companies have either expanded or relocated to the Huntsville area in the past year, including Dynetics, Torch Technologies, Invariant Corporation, Nippon Express, Aldez Palco, Ridgeview Industries and TriRx Pharmaceutical Services. In fall 2021, Special Aerospace Services (SAS) moved to Huntsville, as well. These new economic development projects are estimated to bring 510 new jobs and more than $71 million in investment to the Huntsville community.

It’s no secret that in Huntsville, the living is easier. The cost of living in the area is relatively affordable, compared with much larger metropolitan areas, which makes the median salary of $98,251 go much further.

Huntsville and Madison County continue to enhance the quality of life in the region. Last summer, plans were announced to introduce Upland Park, a 60-acre, $200 million mixed-use development in Cummings Research Park. The development will feature a senior living community – which serves as an enticement to young families that want to put roots in Huntsville yet want their extended family of parents and grandparents living nearby.

The Tech Town Index identifies US markets where tech employment and business opportunities intersect with affordability and quality of life. This years’ index is based on 2021 IT job posting data in 20 metropolitan areas with populations over 250,000 where demand for tech workers is greater than the national average. Markets were then evaluated and ranked based on cost of living, number of postings for open IT positions and projected job growth over the next 12 months and the next five years.

Four years ago, the idea was to show how and where technology flourishes in the United States and provide guidance to IT professionals seeking upward movement or looking to put down roots. Every year since then, the report has been updated as new data and trends are assessed. 

For the third consecutive year, Austin, TX, leads the Tech Town Index. Joining Austin in the top 10 are San Jose, Dallas, Atlanta, Huntsville (AL), Charlotte (NC), Raleigh (NC), San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The second half of the Tech Town Index includes Lansing (MI), Baltimore, Durham-Chapel Hill (NC), Trenton (NJ), Boulder (CO), New York, Colorado Springs (CO), Des Moines (Iowa), Hartford (CT) and Tallahassee (FL). 

Last year there were 3.3 million total job postings for open IT positions in the United States. About one-quarter of those (27%) were advertised as remote work.

Accelerated, in part, by the pandemic, technology has edged its way into our everyday lives. Niche companies are popping up left and right to meet this demand. It’s never been a better time to work in IT, and it’s never been a better time to be an IT professional in the Rocket City. 

For more information, go to: https://www.comptia.org/content/research/best-tech-cities-it-jobs.